528 General Notes. [July, 
expressed at least by Theodore Jasper in his “ Birds of North 
America,” that they follow mountain ridges and water courses.— 
Wm. Hosea Ballou. * 
ALBINO BEAVER AND SQuIRREL.—During the past winter a white 
beaver (Castor fiber) was caught near Olympia, Washington Ter. 
a white squirrel (Sciurus fossor). This squirrel is abundant in 
the neighborhood, and is remarkable for the constancy of its 
coloration, this being, I believe, the first recorded instance of an 
albino of the species. The coloration was white with a slight 
buffy tinge.—¥ K. Lum. 
Some HÀBITS oF THE Pine Snake.—The note in January 
NATURALIST on the vibration of the tail in certain species of 
snakes, leads me to ask if this habit is not more general than has 
been supposed. The pine snake, Pituophis melanol-ucus, is natu- 
rally sluggish, yet I have seen it when excited so vibrate the tip 
of the tail that it looked like a little fan, though I never detected 
any sound. Twice have I had the pine snake lay eggs in my 
study, the largest number being twelve, but they were as large as 
pigeon’s eggs. For many years have I been on the lookout to 
find the egg nidus of this serpent, and only succeeded in the early 
summer of 1878. This was in an open sandy spot in the pines 
near here, about three inches below the surface. The deposit 
contained forty one eggs, but very much smaller than those laid 
in confinement. I had them all brought to my house, and made 
a vain effort to hatch them. At last I broke open a few, and 
found each to contain a young snake about five and a-half inches 
in length. The number of eggs and the size of the young snakes 
severally compared with the size of the egg much surprised me— 
S. Lockwood, Freehold, N. F. 
Nores on THE FisH-Hawks.-—In the “ Naturalist's Guide” (1877), 
Part x1, “ Catalogue of the Birds of Eastern Massachusetts,” by C 
J. Maynard, on page 134, is the following note, viz.: “ Pandion 
carolinensis Bon., fish-hawk. Not a common summer resident, 
growing less so every year. Perhaps a few breed in the interior, 
but it is doubtful.” Mr. Maynard also placed the bird in his list 
of “ regular spring and autumn migrants,” vide page 165. 
was much surprised when I read this note, as no bird is more 
familiar in this locality than the fish-hawk, It is with us a regu- 
lar summer resident, arriving early in the month of March, and 
departing late in November, and breeds every season quite abun- 
dantly. From more than a quarter of a century’s personal obser- 
